School: Carnadough (B.), Newtowncashel
- Location:
- Cornadowagh, Co. Longford
- Teacher: P. Eustace
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0753, Page 340
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- In the olden times, the churning was done by means of a dash churn. This churn consisted of a barrel about three feet high made of the best oak and a close fitting lid with a hole in the centre for the dash to go through. The dash has a long handle with a round head and holes in it for the milk to splash up and down and it takes one strong person to do it in this way. This system is going in many houses still. In olden times big farmers had a machine churn that was worked by horses. It is an old belief that if a person comes in when the people are churning if the do not take the dash it is supposed to be unlucky that they take away the butter. The churn that I have at home is an end to end churn. It is a barrel about 2 feet high and it is left on a stand and the churning is done by a handle twisted round on a little wheel and it takes about an hour to do it. If a person enters a house when churning is going on he should assist at the work as it is expected from him. He should not dare to ask a coal for his pipe when the woman of the house she usually lilts a tune keeping time with the dash.
- Collector
- Séan Ó Fearghail
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 11
- Address
- Newtown Cashel, Co. Longford
- Informant
- James Donlan
- Relation
- Grandparent
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 86
- Address
- Derryshannoge, Co. Longford
